Ben Solo's head snapped up at the sound of the coffeehouse's bell chiming, almost slopping steamed milk on himself in anticipation at seeing her face. It was never a guarantee that she was the one coming through the door, but the lanky college senior didn't care, craning his neck to peek over Poe. His coworker looked at him amused, taking the metal pitcher from the awkward giant before he scalded himself, jerking his head over to the cash register. "You can take over orders. I know you're dying to." Ben felt his ears turn pink at how obvious his excitement was, but still he smirked and nodded at his classmate, turning to the register.
He hadn't expected to have become infatuated. After all, this was just an after school job, something to stave off student loans and his rent, something to keep himself busy. Yet here he found himself keeping an eye on the back of the line, where she stood with her friend, Finn. At one point, he was sure that she caught him looking, her hazel eyes flickering to his dark ones, her mouth opening to a smile that had him ducking his head, eyes on his cash drawer. When she finally reached the counter, Ben was sure that he could be neutral today, that today was the day to be cool. He opened his mouth to say something, to compliment Rey, the girl he had been pining after since the summer started, but nothing came. She looked at him, smiling and expectant, but he couldn't muster the words.
She leaned forward, stage whispered: "I think this is where you ask what I want to drink today, Kylo." At his nickname, Ben snapped back to himself, smiling back. "Why? You order the same thing every time."
Rey laughed. "Oh yeah? What's my usual order, hotshot?" "A caramel macchiato, with extra caramel and sugar added in." He made a face, mock-shuddering at the order. "I don't know how you can stand that much sugar."
"How else am I supposed to be sweet all the time?" If he didn't know better, he would think that she was flirting. "And I think I'll take my order iced today, please, Kylo."
As he rung her up, he debated what to write on her cup today. At the beginning of the summer, when he had finally worked up the nerve to try asking her out, he started writing compliments on the stiff paper cup. Nothing too much, since he didn't know very much about her then. Now, he glanced at her, and she smiled, almost shyly back, and he remembered little details about her.
Like that she lived right down the street. Okay, that fact alone and that he knew it sounds creepy. But he wouldn't have known if it wasn't for her cat, a white and orange fluffball named Bebe. One night, when he had been closing and had left the front door open so as to hear the summer cicadas (he was weird, he admitted it), he had suddenly heard a skirmish in the front room, the skittering of paws and the desperate call of "Kitty, come back!" Of course, when he found them, Bebe was curled contently in Rey's arms, and she was slouched in one of the cafe chairs, tuckered out from wrangling her cat. The sight had made him double up with laughter, and from then on out, he usually asked about Bebe, and had drawn him on Rey's cup at least once, maybe twice.
He also knew that she studied science, chemistry and physics, if he remembered right. She and Finn had camped out in the coffeehouse the day before finals, books and papers scattered around them. When business slowed and Ben was able to go on his break, Rey had invited him to sit with them, and had him quiz her on the formulas for common chemical compounds. She kept getting stuck on the one for sugar, insisting that she could recognize it upon seeing it, but of course Ben wouldn't let her peek at the flashcards. So the next time she visited, he wrote "You're sweet like sugar", scribbling out "sugar" and then writing the formula instead.
Little things, like that. He reached for her cup, for the marker, then decided against anything special today. She never seemed to notice, anyways. No matter how many compliments he wrote, how many possible insider jokes he brought up, she never approached him about it, never questioned him. Just smiled from afar and sipped her coffee.
As Rey walked away to join Finn at the table he had picked, Ben handed the cup to Poe, who grinned at him. "What did you write today?" He twirled the cup around,confused at the blank cup, looking at Ben and his downcast face. Poe's eyes widened. "Oh buddy. I'm sorry. Did she reject you?" "Not outright. I just figured that it won't matter if I write on the stupid cup today or not. She never notices." He was almost embarrassed by how infatuated he was, how futile it was to try to get her attention. In hindsight, maybe his crush on her was doomed from the very beginning to be awkward. After all, he was just a face behind the counter, someone who took money and made coffee.
Then he glanced over at his coworker,saw his guilty expression. "Poe? Something wrong?" "I switched the cups." The confession was blurted, the shorter man turning red. "You know Finn?"
"Rey's friend?" "Yeah, him. I've had it bad for him since he became a regular. Talked to him outside of work. He's Rey's roommate, is in the same program as her. I couldn't muster up the courage to ask him out, and I sure as hell am not as creative as you with compliments. So I switched out the cups. I figured it would be okay- Rey seems really into you, and I didn't think that you needed any more help, that you were doing fine on your own. I'm so sorry, man. If I had known that you hadn't asked her out, I wouldn't have done it."
Ben was more stunned than angry. He couldn't blame Poe for his actions; he probably would've done the same thing. It was just that Poe of all people thought Ben had successfully asked a girl out. He wanted to laugh. But also cry. Mostly laugh though.
Did Rey like him back? If Poe was as observant as he was claiming, then yes. Ben found his mind reeling as he took the cup back, his hands going through the well practiced motions of making Rey's order. He was going to ask her out. He smiled to himself as he came around the counter, her drink in his hand. Then he stopped.
Looming over Rey was Hux, neighborhood asshole, who was currently stroking her arm, asking her if she came here often. Ben looked around for Finn, realized that Hux had made his move when Rey's friend had gotten up to talk with Poe. From the look on her face, Rey was pissed, and definitely uncomfortable. Ben's heart sank a little, realizing that she didn't want to cause a scene. His frown deepened as Hux leered at the girl, who was doing everything in her power to scooch away and hiss at him to leave her alone, but he wasn't listening. The redhead's hand was on her leg, almost creeping up her sundress.
Rey didn't realize how fast Kylo could move until suddenly he was at her table, looming over her and her unwelcome guest. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he waved her off, set down her drink, face dark. Gasps erupted around them as gentle Ben was suddenly dragging the pest outside, murder etched into his scowl.
"Kylo!" Rey ran after the barista and the struggling playboy in his grasp. "Kylo, it's okay! Don't hurt him!" She hated saying that, knowing full well that Hux deserved to be beaten to a pulp. But not now. Not by Ben, especially when he could lose his job. (Of course, Poe would later claim that he'd have turned the other way if Kylo had decided to kick some ass.)
He hadn't expected her to insist that. Kylo turned to his crush, almost confused as she turned and ran back inside. She appeared again, and in front of him and the customers, now huddling around the windows to see the action on the sidewalk, doused Hux with her coffee, caramel ribbons catching in his hair, which would otherwise match his face. Rey looked at her harasser evenly, capping her cup with satisfaction. Kylo didn't have to say anything, watching his "rival" storm off.
He turned back to Rey, who stood on the sidewalk now, nervous. "If you need to, you can ban me from the cafe. I hope you don't, but I understand." She almost wasn't expecting the tall, dark man to start laughing, though she was used to it by now. Kylo offered his hand to her, leading her back into the store, to the counter, remaking her drink, despite her insistence that she was fine, it was her fault that she wasted her drink on that scum.
She didn't fail to notice his phone number, written in pen on her cup, and he thankfully caught her wide grin when she realized what he'd written. "Thank you...Ben." He felt his ears turn pink again, but he smiled back, liking his real name on her lips.